Bolstered by Survey, Hoboken Again Says No to Ferry Yard

“Nostalgia for the days when the waterfront of Hoboken, N.J., teemed with stevedores and tugboat crews is apparently a thing of the past.

The city’s new mayor, Ravinder S. Bhalla, said on Tuesday that residents had resoundingly approved the replacement of the last vestige of the industrial waterfront with a park. Citing the results of an online survey, Mr. Bhalla said he would proceed with plans to prevent a commuter ferry service from moving its maintenance operations to Hoboken.

“The survey results indicate that the people of Hoboken have spoken loud and clear,” Mr. Bhalla said in an interview. “We overwhelmingly reject industrial uses and we want a complete waterfront as open space.”

The ferry company, New York Waterway, bought a waterfront property late last year that had been used for decades to repair barges and other vessels. Its chairman, Armand Pohan, said that the company had to leave its longtime base of operations in neighboring Weehawken to make room for residential development and could find no other suitable alternative.”